Circular loom



F. c. HALE 5: AL 2,068,673

CIRCULAR LOOM Fileq Oct. 4. 1935 FRANK c- H-ALE ROBERT YEADON Amy/ways Patented Jan. 26, 1937 UNKTED STARS CIRCULAR LOOM Delaware Application October 4,

1935, Serial No. 43,540

In Great Britain October 19, 1934 2 Claims.

This invention relates to circular looms and in particular to circular looms and shuttles for use therein. The invention is particularly concerned with circular looms of the type in which the shuttles are positioned within the shed by means of vane wheels engaging flanged rollers rotatably mounted in the shuttle body, for example of the type described in U. S. application S. No. 706,322 filed 12th January 1934. Shuttle-posi- 1 tioning means of. this type enable the shuttle to be firmly and accurately positioned while permitting free passage of one sheet of warp threads past the side of the shuttle at which the vane wheels lie, the continued rotation of the vane wheels in one direction presenting slots into which the threads of that sheet enter as they encounter the wheels.

It is important in circular looms that upon faulty shedding such as is occasioned by broken or jammed warps, weaving should be brought rapidly to an end, and in looms of the type mentioned, provision is made for the relative motion between the shuttles and warps to cease on such an occurrence. Thus, in a loom in which the warps are stationary while the shuttles rotate the member carrying the vane wheel shafts is rapidly brought torest, the rotation of the vane wheels themselves ceasing at the same moment. It has been found, however, that the extremely rapid stoppage of the rotation of. the vane wheels sometimes causes a slight backward movement of these wheels, probably owing to backlash in the driving arrangement, and this backward rotation may cause the vane wheels tocarry the warp threads towards the lower set of flanged rollers in the shuttles and so break or otherwise damage the threads.

The present invention overcomes this difliculty by means of a guard mounted .on the shuttle body near to the points of engagement of the vane wheels with the lower flanged rollers, so as to resist the tendency of the vane wheels to carry the threads inwardly towards the rollers. Thus, the guard may take the form of a flat plate or strip extending horizontally of the shuttle body in close proximity to the flanges of the two lower rollers, the flat plate extending outwardly from the plate carrying the frame in which the rollers are mounted, to a point in or near to the normal line followed by the one sheet of warps. The flat plate thus forces the warp threads on the one side of the shuttle to keep substantially to their normal line in spite of any tendency for backward rotation of the vane wheels to carry them out of that line towards the flanged rollers. The flat plate may conveniently be provided with ears or lugs by which it can be secured to the shuttle body.

Another form of guard comprises a stiff wire secured at its two ends to the shuttle body and extending lengthwise of the body and outwardly therefrom to a point in or near to the normal line of the one sheet of warp threads, in the same manner as the plate. Like the plate, the wire guard maintains the warp threads on the one side of the shuttle substantially in their normal line in spite of. any tendency for backward rotation of the vane wheels to carry the threads out of that line towards the flanged rollers.

A form of apparatus according to the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a shuttle;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 showing the shuttle as mounted in operative position; and

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

The shuttle comprises a top plate 4 and an intermediate plate 5 carrying between them a plate 6 for the support of a spool l and a plate 8 having a frame 9 on which rollers are supported by which the shuttle is positioned in the shed. Thus, there are two pairs of horizontally-disposed flanged rollers ill for engagement with a pair of rotatable vane wheels ll mounted on a shaft [2 and a substantially vertical roller I3 for engagement with a race It on the opposite side of the shuttle to the shaft l2. The normal, or forward direction of rotation of the vane wheels I l is indicated by the arrow, this direction being anticlockwise as viewed in Fig. 2. Weft 35 unwinding from the spool l is led downwardly to a guide eye 34 from which the weft passes into the fabric.

Warp threads proceeding downwards to the shuttle are shedded into an outer sheet I5 and an inner sheet I6, the threads of the outer sheet passing through the slots in the vane wheel H to the base of. the shuttle, and the inner sheet l6 passing between the roller is and the race I4 to meet the sheet [5 at the base of the shuttle.

Mounted on the plate 8 is a narrow strip IT at a level just below the point of engagement of the vane wheel II with the lower pair of flanged rollers iii. The strip l'i. has a pair of ears l8 bent downwards to form angles by which the strip is secured to the plate 8, conveniently by the same screws l9 as are used to secure the frame 9 to the plate 8. The outer sheet of warps l rests against the outer edge of the strip I! and is prevented by the strip from being carried into the nip of the vane wheel II and the lower rollers II] in the event of any backward rotation of the vane wheel, viz. in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow.

In order to avoid there being any crevice between the forward end of the strip I! and the plate 8 into which the warp threads might enter, a hole 20 is formed in the plate 8 and the front end 2| of the strip I1 is bent into the hole as shown in Fig. 3.

The strip I! is shown applied to a shuttle having an adjustable base for regulating the pressure of the shuttle on the weft laid in the fabric Below the plate 8 is mounted a plate 22 forming the base of the shuttle, the edge 23 of the plate 22 lying at the fell of the fabric 24 to press weft 25 laid by a preceding shuttle firmly into the fabric. The base 22 is pivotally mounted at 26, the pivot shown being formed in a plate 21 bent round the plate 8 and base member 22 so as to prevent the formation of any crevice for the entry of warp threads.

A link comprising oppositely-threaded members 28, 29, a similarly threaded sleeve 30 and lock nut 3! is connected at the points 32, 33 to the plate 8 and base member 22 respectively and provides for adjustment of the position of the edge 23 of the base member 22.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Circular loom shuttle adapted to [be positioned within the warp shed by rotatable vane wheels which pass through one warp sheet into contact with the shuttle, the threads of that sheet passing through the slots of the vane wheels, said shuttle comprising a top plate and an intermediate plate fitting within the warp shed with their edges substantially at right-angles to the warp threads, a spool-supporting plate connecting said top plate and said intermediate plate, a further plate extending from said intermediate plate and adapted to press with its edge against weft in the fabric, pairs of flanged mounted on said further plate near the points of engagement of said vane wheels with said flanged rollers and between said flanged rollers and the weft-pressing edge of said further plate, the edge of said guard plate extending to a point substantially in the line of the warp threads from the edge of said intermediate plate to the weft-pressing edge of said further plate so as to resist any tendency of the rotatable vane wheels to carry the warp threads inwardly towards said flanged rollers.

2. Circular loom shuttle adapted to be positioned within the warp shed by rotatable vane wheels which pass through one warp sheet into contact with the shuttle, the threads o that sheet passing through the slots of the vane wheels, said shuttle comprising a top plate and an intermediate plate fitting within the warp shed with their edges substantially at right-angles to the warp threads, a spool-supporting plate connecting said top plate and said intermediate plate, a further plate extending from said intermediate plate and adapted to press with its edge against weft in the fabric, pairs of flanged rollers supported in said further plate for engagement by said vane wheels, and a guard plate mounted on said further plate near the points of engagement of said vane wheels with said flanged rollers and between said flanged rollers and the weft-pressing edge of said further plate, the forward edge of said guard plate being curved so as to fit into a hole formed in the further plate in order to prevent the formation of any crevice between the guard and the shuttle body into which warp threads can enter, and extending from such forward edge to a point substantially in the line of the warp threads from the edge of 7 said intermediate plate to the weft-pressing edge of said further plate so as to resist any tendency of the rotatable vane wheels to carry the warp threads inwardly towards said flanged rollers.

FRANK CORBYN HALE. ROBERT YEADON. 

